One late night at the office, Mike received a mysterious email. Curiosity gnawed at him, so he clicked it open. A wave of shock hit him as he saw a bunch of chilling photos. His whole world flipped in a second, and everything he thought he knew about his life felt like a lie.
A man’s hand resting on his laptop | Source: Pexels
I never expected my life to change with a single text message.
It was late, and the office was eerily quiet.
I was finishing the monthly report under the flickering light above my desk.
A man typing on his laptop | Source: Freepik
Suddenly, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of my work trance.
“Check your email, you need to see this!” read the message from an unknown number.
My heart skipped a beat. What could this be about? I wondered.
With curiosity and anxiety, I opened my email.
A person using their phone and laptop simultaneously | Source: Unsplash
And there it was. Fifteen photos. I clicked on the first one, and my world started to crumble.
There was Catherine, my wife, with my boss. They were at a restaurant, laughing over dinner. I clicked on the next photo, and it was them in a car together.
My stomach tightened as I clicked through more pictures: the two of them hugging, kissing, entering a hotel. The final photo showed them in bed together. My hands trembled. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
A couple about to kiss | Source: Pexels
“Who would send these?” I muttered, glancing around the empty office. I was shocked and furious.
Catherine and I work for a logistics company. She’s in a top position, and I’m still in a junior position. Our boss respects and appreciates her a lot, and I started wondering if this was the reason behind it.
At that time, Catherine was on a business trip with him, and I couldn’t help but suspect that it was all a lie to cover up her affair.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. “We need to talk,” the same unknown number texted.
A person uses his laptop while his phone rests beside it | Source: Pexels
I stared at the message, my mind spinning. Who was this? How did they get these photos? And why were they sending them to me?
I leaned back in my chair, trying to steady my breathing. The quiet of the office now felt oppressive. I had to figure this out.
I quickly typed a reply: “Who are you? Why did you send these photos?”
A person holding a phone | Source: Unsplash
After hitting send, I waited, my eyes glued to the screen. The seconds felt like hours. My mind flashed through every interaction I’d had with Catherine and my boss.
Were there signs I missed? Was Catherine’s promotion a result of her affair with our boss?
My phone buzzed again.
A phone on a table | Source: Pexels
My heart pounded as I opened the message: “Meet me at your boss’s house. You need to know the truth.”
I stood up, grabbing my coat.
I had to know what was going on.
A depressed man | Source: Freepik
The drive to my boss’s house felt like it took forever, even though it was only across town. Anger and betrayal burned inside me, making my grip on the steering wheel tight.
How could Catherine do this to me?
When I arrived, the house looked dark except for a light in the kitchen. I parked and walked up to the door, feeling my pulse in my ears. I knocked, and the door opened almost immediately
A lighted doorstep | Source: Pexels
“Mike, come in,” said a woman. It was my boss’s wife. She looked worried, but there was a hint of something else in her eyes.
“Thanks,” I muttered, stepping inside. She led me to the kitchen, where we sat at a small table.
“Why did you send those photos?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
A woman holding a glass of wine | Source: Freepik
She sighed, pouring two glasses of wine. “I suspected my husband was cheating with Catherine for about a month. I hired a private investigator to follow them. I’m sorry you had to see those.”
I took the glass she offered and drank it in one gulp. The wine was strong, and it burned my throat. She poured me another.
“I needed to know,” I said, feeling pathetic about the situation. “But why tell me now?”
Wine being poured into a wine glass | Source: Pexels
She looked at me, her eyes sad. “I thought you deserved to know the truth. We both deserve better than this.”
We kept talking and drinking. My anger and confusion blurred with each glass of wine.
She listened to me rant about the betrayal, nodding sympathetically, and I felt a strange connection with her.
A man drinking wine | Source: Pexels
At some point, the alcohol got to me. My thoughts were fuzzy, and my judgment was gone. She moved closer, touching my arm.
“You’re not alone in this, Mike,” she whispered. And I didn’t know what took over me the next moment
Before I knew it, we were in her bedroom.
A couple in bed | Source: Freepik
The following morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, waking me up.
My head pounded, and I felt disoriented. As I opened my eyes, I realized I what I had done.
Panic surged through me as the memories of last night flooded back.
Man sitting at the edge of his bed | Source: Unsplash
I sat up quickly, regretting every decision that led me here. The boss’s wife lay next to me, smirking. She looked too pleased with herself.
“Good morning, Mike,” she said, stretching lazily. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“What have I done?” I whispered, feeling a wave of nausea hit me. “This was a mistake!”
A woman holding white rug on bed | Source: Pexels
Her smirk widened. “Oh, it was no mistake. I had fun. Didn’t you?”
I stood up, grabbing my clothes, needing to escape this nightmare. “You sent those photos,” I said, my voice shaking. “Why?”
She sat up, her smile turning cold. “I faked the photos. I needed a little excitement while my husband was away. You were the perfect pawn.”
A smirking woman | Source: Pexels
My blood ran cold. “You used me,” I said, realizing the depth of her deception. “And Catherine… she’s not cheating?”
“Remember, Mike,” she called after me. “Keep your mouth shut!”
I drove home, my mind racing.
I had to tell Catherine the truth. I couldn’t live with this secret, and she deserved to know. No matter the consequences, I owed her honesty.
